WP: Lab Animal Violations Decried

[shockra]

Activists Urge NIH to Sanction University for Repeat Offense

By Rick Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 2, 2005; Page A21

"Fool me once, shame on -- shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again."-- President Bush, 2002

Concerned that the federal government may not be living up to President Bush's famous two-strikes-and-you're-out philosophy, animal rights activists are asking federal officials how many times a university needs to violate animal welfare regulations before it gets hit with some kind of punishment.

At the center of the storm is the University of North Carolina, which in the past four years has twice had the misfortune of hiring animal laboratory technicians who turned out to be undercover agents for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

The first instance produced embarrassing video footage taken by the employee (one clip showed a lab worker using scissors to cut the heads off of baby rats while saying: "I don't put them to sleep. Maybe it's illegal, but it's easier."). It led to a damning report from the federal Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare. But no sanctions came down from that office, part of the National Institutes of Health, because by the end of that investigation OLAW had determined that the problems had been corrected.

By then, however, PETA had managed to have a new agent hired by UNC. After an 11-month tour of duty, that employee released a new batch of evidence, including more photos and videos, and OLAW opened a new investigation.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/01/AR2005120101510.html

[Critters2]

1. The University of North Carolina

is also responsible for encouraging the growth of the facroty farm pork industry in that state. I guess the people of NC don't mind the public funding of animal cruelty. Still, a law is a law!

[NMMNG]

2. Gah

(one clip showed a lab worker using scissors to cut the heads off of baby rats while saying: "I don't put them to sleep. Maybe it's illegal, but it's easier.").

Well, as long as your work is easier I guess that makes torturing innocent animals ok. :sarcasm: